viii, 334 pages, 16 unnumbered pages of plates : 24 cm

"The U.S. Women's National Soccer Team has won three World Cups and four Olympic gold medals, set record TV ratings, drawn massive crowds, earned huge revenues for FIFA and U.S. Soccer, and helped to redefine the place of women in sports. But despite their dominance, and their rosters of superstar players, they've endured striking inequality: low pay, poor playing conditions, and limited opportunities to play in professional leagues. The National Team, from leading soccer journalist Caitlin Murray, tells the history of the USWNT in full, from their formation in the 1980s to the run-up to the 2019 World Cup, chronicling both their athletic triumphs and less visible challenges off the pitch. Murray also recounts the rise and fall of U.S. professional leagues, including the burgeoning National Women's Soccer League, an essential part of the women's game. Through nearly 100 exclusive interviews with players, coaches, and team officials, including Alex Morgan, Carli Lloyd, Hope Solo, Heather O'Reilly, Julie Foudy, Brandi Chastain, Pia Sundhage, Tom Sermanni, and Sunil Gulati, Murray takes readers inside the locker rooms and board rooms in engrossing detail. A story of endurance and determination, The National Team is a complete portrait of this beloved and important team."--Page 2 of cover

Includes bibliographical references (pages 307-320) and index

Prologue : "Where are all these people going?" -- "We're not very USA-ish" -- "I just want to play soccer" -- "Screw you, we'll show you differently" -- "From darkness into the light" -- "Babe city, ladies and gentlemen" -- "Oh s***, these women are for real" -- "Is that the starting team? Am I not on it?" -- "We kind of bled to death" -- "It was their team" -- "Why do we have to deal with this discrimination?" -- "If there isn't a goalkeeper controversy, why make one?" -- "Whoa, can we do this without her?" -- "You wouldn't be on the field if it was up to me" -- "The Americans? They just go for it" -- "Okay, this is our payback" -- "Let's give this league a shot, let's go for it" -- "I cannot comment further at this time" -- "I've dreamed of scoring a shot like that" -- "It is our job to keep on fighting" -- "We played a bunch of cowards" -- "The power of collective bargaining" -- "We had to turn the lens on ourselves."

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